The Sony Ericsson K550i (and the i-mode variant, the K550im) are perhaps a good example of the way technology progresses in the mobile phone industry. Almost two years ago, Sony Ericsson announced what was then their high-end camera phone, the K750i. Today, the K550i shares almost exactly the same features, but as the number designation shows, Sony Ericsson now regards this particular handset as a mid-range device.
Fundamentally then, the K550i is very similar to the K750i with a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, a 1.9″ 176×220 pixel display, Bluetooth, an FM radio and expandable memory.
here are some important differences though – the main one is that the Sony Ericsson K550i is only 14mm thick (compared with 21mm thick for the K750i), the keypad arrangement is different (a little reminiscent of the classic T610 design), the software suite has been improved (it now contains an RSS reader, for example).. and of course, it’s likely to be a lot cheaper at launch than the K750i was.
One other obvious difference is the “Cyber-shot” branding on the K550i, even though the camera is pretty much the same as the old non Cyber-shot K750i. Of course, the K750i had a reputation for possessing one of the best cameras around, and the K550i is likely to be equally impressive.
In addition to the K550i, there is also a K550im variant. This is an i-mode device which retains all the features of the K550i and adds an i-mode browser, although the keypad layout is slightly different and the K550im loses the “Cyber-shot” branding.
Underneath, the Sony Ericsson K550i and K550im models are quad-band GSM devices with GPRS and EDGE . Talktime is up to 7 hours with a maximum of 14 days standby time.
Sony Ericsson say that the K550i and K550im will be available from Q1 2007, the K550i in Pearl White and Jet Black variants.
Sony Ericsson K550i Specs
Technical Specifications |
|
| Network: | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| Form Factor: | Block |
| Dimensions: | 102 x 46 x 14 mm |
| Weight: | 85 g |
| Antenna: | Internal |
| Navigation: | 5-Way Keypad |
| Battery Type: | Li-Ion |
| Talk Time: |  |
| Standby Time: | |
| Memory: | |
| Expandable Memory: | Memory Stick Micro |
Imaging |
|
| Main Screen: | 262000 colors (TFT) 176 x 220 px |
| External Screen: |  |
| Camera: | 2.0 MP / Flash / Zoom / Auto-Focus / Video Recorder |
Audio |
|
| MP3 Player: | MP3 / AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+ / m4a |
| FM Radio: | RDS Radio |
| Speakerphone: |  |
| Push-To-Talk: | |
Multimedia |
|
| Wallpapers: | 176 x 220 px |
| Screen Savers: | 176 x 220 px |
| Ring Tones: | MP3 |
| Themes: | |
| Games: | J2ME / Mascot Capsule 3D |
| Streaming Multimedia: | |
Messaging |
|
| SMS: | |
| EMS: | |
| MMS: | |
| Email: | POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP / Push Email |
| Chat: | |
| Predictive Text: | T9 |
Applications |
|
| Phonebook Capacity: | |
| Calendar: | |
| To-Do List: | |
| WAP: | 2.0 / Picture Blogging / HTML / RSS |
| Voice Commands: | |
| Calculator: | |
Connectivity |
|
| Bluetooth: | A2DP / HFP / HSP |
| Infrared Port: | |
| High-Speed Data: | GPRS (Class 10) / EDGE |
| Wi-Fi: | |
| GPS: | |
| PC Sync: | USB 2.0 |
More Information |
|
| Website: | Sony Ericsson K550i Website |
| Discussion: | Sony Ericsson Forum |
Mobile Phone FreaK 
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